TEXT. --Again I say unto you, That if two
of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they
shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in
heaven. --MATTHEW xviii. 19.

HITHERTO, in treating of the subject of PRAYER, I have confined
my remarks to secret prayer. I am now to speak of social prayer,
or prayer offered in company, where two or more are united in
praying. Such meetings have been common from the time of Christ,
and even hundreds of years before. And it is probable that God's
people have always been in the habit of making united
supplication, whenever they had the privilege. The propriety of
the practice will not be questioned here. I need not dwell now on
the duty of social prayer. Nor is it my design to discuss the
question, whether any two Christians agreeing to ask any blessing,
will be sure to obtain it. My object is to make some remarks
on

MEETINGS FOR PRAYER.

I. The design of Prayer Meetings.

II. The manner of conducting them.

III. Mention several things that will defeat the design of
holding them.

I. THE DESIGN OF PRAYER MEETINGS.

1. One design of assembling several persons together for united
prayer, is to promote union among Christians. Nothing tends more
to cement the hearts of Christians than praying together. Never do
they love one another so well as when they witness the outpouring
of each other's hearts in prayer. Their spirituality begets a
feeling of union and confidence, highly important to the
prosperity of the church. It is doubtful whether Christians can
ever be otherwise than united, if they are in the habit of really
praying together. And where they have had hard feelings and
differences among themselves, they are all done away, by uniting
in prayer. The great object is gained, if you can bring them
really to unite in prayer. If this can be done, the difficulties
vanish.

2. To extend the spirit of prayer. God has so constituted us,
and such is the economy of his grace, that we are sympathetic
beings, and communicate our feelings to each other. A minister,
for instance, will often as it were breathe his own feelings into
his congregation. The Spirit of God that inspires his soul, makes
use of his feelings to influence his hearers, just as much as he
makes use of the words he preaches. So he makes use of the
feelings of Christians. Nothing is more calculated to beget a
spirit of prayer, than to unite in social prayer, with one who has
the spirit himself; unless this one should be so far ahead that
his prayer will repel the rest. His prayer will awaken them, if
they are not so far behind, as to revolt at it and resist it. If
they are any where near the standard of his feelings, his spirit
will kindle, and burn, and spread all around.--One individual in a
church, that obtains a spirit of prayer, will often arouse a whole
church, and extend the same spirit through the whole, and a
general revival follows.

3. Another grand design of social prayer. is to move God. Not
that it changes the mind and feelings of God. When we speak of
moving God, as I have said in a former lecture, we do not mean
that it alters the will of God. But when the right kind of prayer
is offered by Christians, they are in such a state of mind, that
it becomes proper for God to bestow a blessing. They are then
prepared to receive it, and he gives because he is always the
same, and always ready and happy to show mercy. When Christians
are united, and praying as they ought, God opens the windows of
heaven, and pours out his blessings, till there is not room to
receive them.

4. Another important design of prayer meetings is the
conviction and conversion of sinners. When properly conducted,
they are eminently calculated to produce this effect. Sinners are
apt to be solemn, when they hear Christians pray. Where there is a
spirit of prayer, sinners must feel. An ungodly man, a
Universalist, once said respecting a certain minister, "I can bear
his preaching very well, but when he prays, I feel awfully; I feel
as if God was coming down upon me." Sinners are often convicted by
hearing prayer. A young man of distinguished talents, known to
many of you, said concerning a certain minister to whom before his
conversion he had been very much opposed, "As soon as he began to
pray, I began to be convicted, and if he had continued to pray
much longer, I should not have been able to contain myself." Just
as soon as Christians begin to pray as they ought, sinners then
know that they pray, and they feel awfully. They do not understand
what spirituality is, because they have no experience of it. But
when such prayer is offered, they know there is something in it;
they know God is in it, and it brings them near to God; it makes
them feel awfully solemn, and they cannot bear it. And not only is
it calculated to impress the minds of sinners, but when Christians
pray in faith, the Spirit of God is poured out, and sinners are
melted down and converted on the spot.

II. THE MANNER OF CONDUCTING PRAYER MEETINGS.

1. It is often well to open a prayer meeting by reading a short
portion of the word of God; especially if the person who takes the
lead of the meeting, can call to mind any portion that will be
applicable to the object or occasion, and that is impressive, and
to the point. If he has no passage that is applicable, he had
better not read any at all. Do not drag in the word of God to make
up part of the meeting as a mere matter of form. This is an insult
to God. It is not well to read any more than is applicable to the
subject before the meeting, or the occasion. Some people think it
always necessary to read a whole chapter, though it may be ever so
long, and have a variety of subjects. It is just as impressive and
judicious to read a whole chapter, as it would be for a minister
to take a whole chapter for his text, when his object was to make
some particular truth bear on the minds of his audience. The
design of a prayer meeting should be to bring Christians to the
point, to pray for a definite object. Wandering over a large
field, hinders and destroys this design.

2. It is proper that the person who leads should make some
short and appropriate remarks, calculated to explain the nature of
prayer, and the encouragements we have to pray, and to bring the
object to be prayed for, directly before the minds of the
people.

A man can no more pray without having his thoughts
concentrated, than he can do anything else. The person leading,
should therefore see to this, by bringing up before their minds
the object they came to pray for. If they came to pray for any
object he can do this. And if they did not, they had better go
home. It is of no use to stay there and mock God, by pretending to
pray, when they have nothing on earth to pray for.

After stating the object, he should bring up some promise or
some principle, as the ground of encouragement to expect an answer
to their prayers. If there is any indication of Providence, or any
promise, or any principle in the Divine government, that affords a
ground of faith, let him call it to mind, and not let them be
talking out of their own hearts at random, without knowing any
solid reason to expect an answer. One reason why prayer meetings
mostly accomplish so little, is because there is so little common
sense exercised about them. Instead of looking round for some
solid footing on which to repose their faith, they just come
together and pour forth their words, and neither know nor care
whether they have any reason to expect an answer. If they are
going to pray about anything concerning which there can be any
doubt or any mistake, in regard to the ground of faith, they
should be shown the reason there is for believing that their
prayers will be heard and answered. It is easy to see, that unless
something like this is done, three fourths of them will have no
idea of what they are doing, or of the ground on which they should
expect to receive what they pray for.

3. In calling on persons to pray it is always desirable to let
things take their own course, wherever it is safe. If it can be
left so with safety, let those pray who are most inclined to pray.
It sometimes happens that even those who are ordinarily the most
spiritual, and most proper to be called on, are not at the time in
a suitable frame; they may be cold and worldly, and only freeze
the meeting. But if you let those pray, who desire to pray, you
avoid this. But often this cannot be done with safety, especially
in large cities, where a prayer meeting might be liable to be
interrupted by those who have no business to pray; some fanatic or
crazy person, some hypocrite or enemy, who would only make a
noise. In most places, however, this course may be taken with
perfect safety. Give up the meeting to the Spirit of God, Those
who desire to pray, let them pray. If the leader sees any thing
that needs to be set right, let him remark, freely and kindly, and
put it right, and then go on again. Only, he should be careful to
time his remarks, so as not to interrupt the flow of feeling, or
to chill the meeting, or turn off the minds from the proper
subject.

4. If it is necessary to name the individuals who are to pray,
it is best to call on those who are most spiritual first. And if
you do not know who they are, then those whom you would naturally
suppose to be most alive. If they pray at the outset, they will be
likely to spread the spirit of prayer through the meeting, and
elevate the tone of the whole. Otherwise, if you call on those who
are cold and lifeless at the beginning, they will be likely to
diffuse a chill throughout the meeting. The only hope of having an
efficient prayer meeting is when at least a part of the church is
spiritual, and they infuse their spirit into the rest. This is the
very reason why it is often best to let things take their course,
for then those who have the most feeling are apt to pray first,
and give character to the meeting.

5. The prayers should always be very short.--When individuals
suffer themselves to pray long, they forget where they are, that
they are only the mouth of the congregation, and that the
congregation cannot be expected to sympathise with them, so as to
go along and feel united in prayer, if they are long and tedious,
and go all around the world, and pray for every thing they can
think of. Commonly, those who pray long in meeting, do it not
because they have the spirit of prayer, but because they have not.
And they go round and round, not because they are full of prayer.
Some men will spin out a long prayer in telling God who and what
he is, or they exhort God to do so and so.--Some pray out a whole
system of divinity. Some preach, some exhort the people, till
every body wishes they would stop, and God wishes so too,
undoubtedly. They should keep to the point, and pray for what they
came to pray for, and not follow the imagination of their own
foolish hearts all over the universe.

6. Each one should pray for some one object.--It is well for
every individual to have one object for prayer: two or more may
pray for the same thing, or each a separate object. If the meeting
is convened to pray for some specific thing, let them all pray for
that. If its object is more general, let them select their
subjects, according as they feel interested in them. If one feels
particularly disposed to pray for the church, let him do it. If
the next feels disposed to pray for the church, he may do so too.
Perhaps the next will feel inclined to pray for sinners, for the
youth, to confess sin; let him do it, and as soon as he has got
through, let him stop. Whenever a man has deep feeling, he always
feels on some particular point, and if he prays for that, he will
speak out of the abundance of his heart, and then he will
naturally stop when he is done. Those who feel most, will be most
ready to confine their prayers to that point, and stop when they
have done, and not pray all over the world.

7. If in the progress of the meeting it becomes necessary to
change the object of prayer, let the man who leads state the fact,
and explain it in a few words. If the object is to pray for the
church, or for backsliders, or sinners, or the heathen, let him
state it plainly, and then turn it over and hold it up before
them, till he brings them to think and feel deeply before they
pray. Then state to them the grounds on which they may repose
their faith in regard to obtaining the blessings they pray for, if
any such statement is needed, and so lead them right up to the
throne, and let them take hold of the hand of God. This is
according to the philosophy of the mind. People always do it for
themselves, when they pray in secret, if they really mean to pray
to any purpose. And so it should be in prayer meetings.

8. It is important that the time should be fully occupied, so
as not to leave long seasons of silence. This always makes a bad
impression, and chills the meeting. I know that sometimes churches
have seasons of silent prayer. But in those cases they should be
specially requested to pray in silence, so that all may know why
they are silent. This often has a most powerful effect, where a
few moments are spent by a whole congregation in silence, while
all lift up their thoughts to God. This is very different from
having long intervals of silence because there is nobody to pray.
Every one feels that such a silence is like the cold damp of death
over the meeting.

9. It is exceedingly important that he who leads the meeting
should press sinners who may be present, to immediate repentance.
He should crowd this hard, and urge the Christians present to pray
in such a way as to make sinners feel that they are expected to
repent immediately. This tends to inspire Christians with
compassion and love for souls. The remarks made to sinners are
often like pouring fire upon the hearts of Christians, to awaken
them to prayer and effort for their conversion. Let them see and
feel the guilt and danger of sinners right among them, and then
they will pray.

III. I am to mention several things, which may defeat the
design of a prayer meeting.

1. When there is an unhappy want of confidence in the leader,
there is no hope of any good. Whatever the cause may be, whether
he is to blame or not, the very fact that he leads the meeting
will cast a damp over it, and prevent all good. I have witnessed
it in churches, where there was some offensive elder or deacon,
perhaps justly offensive, and perhaps not, set to lead the prayer
meeting, and the meeting would all die under his influence. If
there is a want of confidence in regard to his piety, or in his
ability, or in his judgment, or in any thing connected with the
meeting, every thing he says or does will fall to the ground. The
same thing often takes place, where the church have lost their
confidence in the minister.

2. Where the leader lacks spirituality, there will be a dryness
and coldness in his remarks and prayers, and every thing will
indicate his want of unction, and his whole influence will be the
very reverse of what it ought to be. I have known churches where a
prayer meeting could not be sustained, and the reason was not
obvious[,] but those who understood the state of things
knew that the leader was so notorious for his want of
spirituality, that he would inevitably freeze a prayer meeting to
death. In many Presbyterian churches, the elders are so far from
being spiritual men, that they always freeze a prayer meeting. And
then they are often amazingly jealous for their dignity, and
cannot bear to have any body else lead the meeting. And if any
member that is spiritual takes the lead of a prayer meeting, they
will take him to task for it: "Why, you are not an elder, and
ought not to lead a prayer meeting in presence of an elder." And
thus they stand in the way, while the whole church is suffering
under their blighting influence.

A man who knows he is not in a spiritual frame of mind has no
business to conduct a prayer meeting; he will kill it. There are
two reasons:--First, he will have no spiritual discernment, and
will not know what to do, or when to do it. A person who is
spiritual can see the movements of Providence, and can feel the
Spirit of God, and understand what he is leading them to pray for,
so as to time his subjects, and take advantage of the state of
feeling among Christians. He will not overthrow all the feeling in
a meeting, by introducing other things that are incongruous or
ill-timed. He has spiritual discernment to understand the leadings
of the Spirit, and his workings in those who pray, and to follow
on as the Spirit leads. Suppose an individual leads, who is not
spiritual, and there are two or three prayers, and the spirit of
prayer rises, but the leader has no spiritual discernment to see
it, and he makes some remarks on another point, or reads a piece
out of some book, that is as far from the feeling of the meeting
as the north pole. It may be just as evident to others what they
are called to pray for, as if the Son of God himself had come into
the meeting and named the subject; but the leader will overthrow
it all, because he is so stupid that he does not know the
indications of the meeting.

And then, if the leader is not spiritual, he will very likely
be dull and dry in his remarks, and in all his exercises. He will
read a long hymn in a dreamy manner, and then read a long passage
of Scripture, in a tone so cold and wintry, that he will spread a
wintry pall over the meeting, and it will be dull, as long as his
cold heart is placed up in front of the whole thing.

3. A want of suitable talents in the leader. If he is wanting
in that kind of talents which are fitted to make a meeting useful,
he will injure the meeting. If he can say nothing, or if his
remarks are so out of the way as to produce levity or contempt, or
if they have nothing in them that will impress the mind, or are
not guided by good sense, or not appropriate, he will injure the
meeting. A man may be pious, but so weak that his prayers do not
edify, but rather disgust the people present. When this is so, he
had better keep silence.

4. Sometimes the benefit of a prayer meeting is defeated by a
bad spirit in the leader. For instance, when there is a revival,
and great opposition, if a leader gets up in a prayer meeting and
speaks of instances of opposition, and comments upon them, and
thus diverts the meeting away from the object they come to pray
for, he knows not what spirit he is of. Its effect is always
ruinous to a prayer meeting. Let a minister in a revival come out
and preach against the opposition, and he will infallibly destroy
the revival, and turn the hearts of Christians away from their
proper object. Let the man who is set to lead the church be
careful to guard his own spirit, lest he should mislead the
church, and diffuse a wrong temper. The same will be true, if any
one who is called upon to speak or pray, introduces in his remarks
or prayers anything controversial, impertinent, unreasonable,
unscriptural, ridiculous or irrelevant. Any of these things will
quench the tender breathings of the spirit of prayer, and destroy
the meeting.

5. Persons coming late to the meeting. This is a very great
hinderance[sic.] to a prayer meeting. When people have
begun to pray, and their attention is fixed, and they have shut
their eyes and closed their ears, to keep out every thing from
their minds, in the midst of a prayer somebody will come bolting
in and walk up through the room. Some will look up, and all have
their minds interrupted for the moment. Then they all get fixed
again, and another comes in, and so on. Why, I suppose the devil
would not care how many Christians went to a prayer meeting, if
they will only go after the meeting is begun. He would be glad to
have ever so many go scattering along so, and dodging in very
piously after the meeting is begun.

6. When persons make cold prayers, and cold confessions of sin,
they are sure to quench the spirit of prayer. When the influences
of the Spirit are enjoyed, in the midst of the warm expressions
that are flowing forth, let an individual come in who is cold, and
pour his cold breath out, like the damp of death, and it will make
every Christian that has any feeling want to get out of the
meeting.

7. In some places it is common to begin a prayer meeting by
reading a long portion of Scripture. Then the deacon or elder
gives out a long hymn. Next, they sing it. Then he prays a long
prayer, praying for the Jews and the fullness of the Gentiles, and
many other objects that have nothing to do with the occasion of
the meeting. After that perhaps he reads a long extract from some
book or magazine. Then they have another long hymn and another
long prayer, and then they go home. I once heard an elder say,
they had kept up a prayer meeting so many years, and yet there had
been no revival in the place. The truth was, that the officers of
the church had been accustomed to carry on the meetings in just
such a dignified way, and their dignity would not allow anything
to be altered. No wonder there was no revival. Such prayer
meetings are enough to hinder a revival. And if ever so many
revivals should commence, the prayer meeting would destroy them.
There was a prayer meeting once in this city, as I have been told,
where there appeared to be some feeling, and some one proposed
that they should have two or three prayers in succession, without
rising from their knees. One dignified man present opposed it, and
said that they never had done so, and he hoped there would be no
innovations. He did not approve of innovations. And that was the
last of the revival. Such persons have their prayer meetings
stereotyped, and they are determined not to turn out of their
track, whether they have the blessing or not. To allow any such
thing would be a new measure, and they never like new
measures.

8. A great deal of singing often injures a prayer meeting. The
agonizing spirit of prayer does not lead people to sing. There is
a time for every thing; a time to sing, and a time to pray. But if
I know what it is to travail in birth for souls, Christians never
feel less like it, than when they have the spirit of prayer for
sinners. Singing is the natural expression of feelings that are
joyful and cheerful. The spirit of prayer is not a spirit of joy.
It is a spirit of travail, and agony of soul, supplicating and
pleading with God with strong cryings, and groanings that cannot
be uttered. This is more like any thing else than it is like
singing. I have known states of feeling, where you could not
distress the people of God more than to begin to sing. It would be
so entirely different from their feelings. Why, if you knew your
house was on fire, would you first stop and sing a hymn before you
put it out? How would it look here in New York, when a building
was on fire, and the firemen are all collected, for the foreman to
stop and sing a hymn? It is just about as natural for the people
to sing when exercised with a spirit of prayer. When people feel
like pulling men out of the fire, they don't feel like singing. I
never knew a singing revival amount to much. Its tendency is to do
away all deep feeling. It is true that singing a hymn has
sometimes produced a powerful effect upon sinners who are
convicted, but in general it is the perfect contrast there is
between their feelings and those of the happy souls who sing, that
produces the effect. If the hymn be of a joyful character it is
not directly calculated to benefit sinners, and is highly fitted
to relieve the mental anguish of the Christian, so as to destroy
that travail of soul which is indispensable to his prevailing in
prayer.

When singing is introduced in a prayer meeting, the hymns
should be short, and so selected as to bring out something solemn;
some striking words, such as the Judgment Hymn, and others
calculated to produce an effect on sinners; or something that will
produce a deep impression on the minds of Christians; but not that
joyful kind of singing, that makes every body feel comfortable,
and turns off the mind from the object of the prayer meeting.

I once heard a celebrated organist produce a remarkable effect
in a protracted meeting. The organ was a powerful one, and the
double bass pipes were like thunder. The hymn was given out that
has these lines:

See the storm of vengeance gathering

O'er the path you dare to tread;

"Hear the awful thunder rolling,

Loud and louder o'er your head."

When he came to these words, we first heard the distant roar of
thunder, then it grew nearer and louder, till at the word
"louder," there was a crash that seemed almost to overpower the
whole congregation.

Such things in their proper place do good. But common singing
dissipates feeling. It should always be such as not to take away
feeling, but to deepen it.

Often a prayer meeting is injured by calling on the young
converts to sing joyful hymns. This is highly improper in a prayer
meeting. It is no time for them to let feeling flow away in joyful
singing, while so many sinners around them, and their own former
companions, are going down to hell. A revival is often put down by
the church and minister all giving themselves up to singing with
young converts. Thus by stopping to rejoice, when they ought to
feel more and more deeply for sinners, they grieve away the Spirit
of God, and they soon find that their agony and travail of soul
are all gone.

9. Introducing subjects of controversy into prayer will defeat
a prayer meeting. Nothing of a controversial nature should be
introduced into prayer, unless it is the object of the meeting to
settle that thing. Otherwise, let Christians come together in
their prayer meetings, on the broad ground of offering united
prayer for a common object. And let controversies be settled
somewhere else.

10. Great pains should be taken, both by the leader and others,
to watch narrowly the motions of the Spirit of God. Let them not
pray without the Spirit, but follow his leadings. Be sure not to
quench the Spirit for the sake of praying according to the regular
custom. Avoid every thing calculated to divert attention away from
the object. All affectation, of feeling that is not real, should
be particularly guarded against. If there is an affectation of
feeling, most commonly others see and feel that it is affectation,
not reality. At any rate, the Spirit of God knows it, and will be
grieved, and leave the place. On the other hand, all resistance to
the Spirit will equally destroy the meeting. Not unfrequently it
happens, that there are some so cold that if any one should break
out in the spirit of prayer, they would call it fanaticism, and
perhaps break out in opposition.

11. If individuals refuse to pray when they are called on it
injures a prayer meeting. There are some people, who always
pretend they have no gifts. Women sometimes refuse to take their
turn in prayer, and pretend they have not ability to pray. But if
any one else should say so, they would be offended. Suppose they
should know that any other person had made such a remark as this,
"Do not ask her to pray; she can't pray; she has not talents
enough;" would they like it? So with a man who pretends he has no
gifts, let any one else report that he has not talents enough to
make a decent prayer, and see if he will like it. The pretence is
not sincere; it is all a sham.

Some say they cannot pray in their families, they have no gift.
But a person could not offend them more than to say they cannot
pray a decent prayer before their own families. They would say,
"Why, the man talks as if he thought nobody else had any gifts but
himself." People are not apt to have such a low opinion of
themselves. I have often seen the curse of God follow such
professors. They have no excuse. God will take none. The man has
got a tongue to talk to his neighbors, and he can talk to God if
he has any heart for it. You will see their children unconverted,
their son a curse, their daughter--tongue cannot tell. God says he
will pour out his fury on the families that call not on his name.
If I had time, I could mention a host of facts to show that God
MARKS those individuals with his disapprobation and curse who
refuse to pray when they ought. Until professors of religion will
repent of this sin and take up the cross (if they choose to call
praying a cross!) and do their duty, they need not expect a
blessing.

12. Prayer meetings are often too long. They should always be
dismissed while Christians have feeling, and not be spun out until
all feeling is exhausted, and the spirit is gone.

13. Heartless confessions. People confess their sins and don't
forsake them. Every week they will make the same confession over
again. A long, cold, dull, stupid confession this week, and then
the next week another just like it, without forsaking any sins.
Why, they have no intention to forsake their sins! It shows
plainly that they do not mean to reform. All their religion
consists in these confessions. Instead of getting a blessing from
God by such confessions they will get only a curse.

14. When Christians spend all the time in praying for
themselves. They should have done this in their closets. When they
come to a prayer meeting, they should be prepared to offer
effectual intercessions for others. If Christians pray in their
closets as they ought, they will feel like praying for sinners. If
they pray exclusively in their closets for themselves, they will
not get the spirit of prayer. I have known men shut themselves up
for days to pray for themselves, and never get any life, because
their prayers are all selfish. But if they will just forget
themselves, and throw their hearts abroad, and pray for others, it
will wake up such a feeling, that they can pour forth their
hearts. And then they can go to work for souls. I knew an
individual in a revival, who shut himself up seventeen days, and
prayed as if he would have God come to his terms, but it would not
do, and then he went out to work, and immediately he had the
Spirit of God in his soul. It is well for Christians to pray for
themselves, and confess their sins, and then throw their hearts
abroad, till they feel as they ought.

15. Prayer meetings are often defeated by the want of
appropriate remarks. The things are not said which are calculated
to lead them to pray. Perhaps the leader has not prepared himself;
or perhaps he has not the requisite talents, to lead the church
out in prayer, or he does not lead their minds to dwell on the
appropriate topics of prayer.

16. When individuals who are justly obnoxious for any cause,
are forward in speaking and praying. Such persons are sometimes
very much set upon taking a part. They say it is their duty to get
up and testify for God on all occasions. They will say, they know
they are not able to edify the church, but nobody else can do
their duty, and they wish to testify. Perhaps the only place they
ever did testify for God, was in a prayer meeting; all their
lives, out of the meeting, testify against God.--They had better
keep still.

17. Where persons take a part who are so illiterate that it is
impossible persons of taste should not be disgusted. Persons of
intelligence cannot follow them, and their minds are unavoidably
diverted. I do not mean that it is necessary a person should have
a liberal education in order to lead in prayer. All persons of
common education, especially if they are in the habit of praying,
can lead in prayer, if they have the spirit of prayer. But there
are some persons who use such absurd and illiterate expressions,
as cannot but disgust every intelligent mind. They cannot help
being disgusted. The feeling of disgust is an involuntary thing,
and when a disgusting object is before the mind, the feeling is
irresistible. Piety will not keep a person from feeling it. The
only way is to take away the object. If such persons mean to do
good, they had better remain silent, Some of them may feel grieved
at not being called to take a part. But it is better that they
should be kindly told the reason than to have the prayer meeting
regularly injured, and rendered ridiculous by their
performances.

18. A want of union in prayer. When one leads the others do not
follow, but are thinking of something else. Their hearts do not
unite, do not say, Amen. It is as bad as if one should make a
petition and another remonstrate against it. One asks God to do a
thing, and the others ask him not to do it, or to do something
else.

19. Neglect of secret prayer. Christians who do not pray in
secret, cannot unite with power in a prayer meeting, and cannot
have the spirit of prayer.

REMARKS.

1. An illy conducted prayer meeting often does more hurt than
good. In many churches, the general manner of conducting prayer
meetings is such that Christians have not the least idea of the
design or the power of such meetings. It is such as tends to keep
down rather than to promote pious feeling and the spirit of
prayer.

2. A prayer meeting is an index to the state of religion in a
church. If the church neglect the prayer meetings, or come and
have not the spirit of prayer, you know of course that religion is
low. Let me go into the prayer meeting, and I can always see the
state of religion there.

3. Every minister ought to know that if the prayer meetings are
neglected, all his labors are in vain. Unless he can get
Christians to attend the prayer meetings, all he can do will not
bring up the true religion.

4. A great responsibility rests on him who leads a prayer
meeting. If the prayer meeting be not what it ought to be, if it
does not elevate the state of religion, he should go seriously to
work and see what is the matter, and get the spirit of prayer, and
prepare himself to make such remarks as are calculated to do good
and set things right. A leader has no business to lead prayer
meetings, if he is not prepared, both in head and heart, to do
this. I wish you, who lead the district prayer meetings of this
church, to notice this point.

5. Prayer meetings are the most difficult meetings to sustain
as they ought to be. They are so spiritual, that unless the leader
be peculiarly prepared, both in heart and mind, they will dwindle.
It is in vain for the leader to complain that members of the
church do not attend. In nine cases out of ten, it is the leader's
fault, that they do not attend. If he felt as he ought, they would
find the meetings so interesting, that they would attend of
course. If he is so cold, and dull, and without spirituality, as
to freeze every thing, no wonder people don't come to the meeting.
Church officers often complain and scold because people don't come
to the prayer meeting, when the truth is, they themselves are so
cold that they freeze every body to death that comes.

6. Prayer meetings are most important meetings for the church.
It is highly important for Christians to sustain the prayer
meetings:--

(1.) To promote union.

(2.) To increase brotherly love.

(3.) To cultivate Christian confidence.

(4.) To promote their own growth in grace.

(5.) To cherish and advance spirituality.

7. Prayer meetings should be so numerous in the church, and be
so arranged, as to exercise the gifts of every individual member
of the church--male and female. Every one should have the
opportunity to pray, and to express the feelings of his heart, if
he has any. The sectional prayer meetings of this church are
designed to do this. And if they are too large for this, let them
be divided, so as to bring the entire mass into the work, to
exercise all gifts, and diffuse union, confidence, and brotherly
love through the whole.

8. It is important that impenitent sinners should always attend
prayer meetings. If none come of their own accord, go out and
invite them. Christians ought to take great pains to induce their
impenitent friends and neighbors to come to prayer meetings. They
can pray better for impenitent sinners when they have them right
before their eyes. I have know female prayer meetings exclude
sinners from the meeting. And the reason was, they were so proud
they were ashamed to pray before sinners. What a spirit! Such
prayers will do no good. They insult God. You have not done
enough, by any means, when you have gone to the prayer meeting
yourself. You can't pray, if you have invited no sinner to go. If
all the church have neglected their duty so, and have gone to the
prayer meeting, and taken no sinners along with them, no subjects
of prayer--what have they come for?

9. The great object of all the means of grace is to aim
directly at the conversion of sinners. You should pray that they
may be converted there. Not pray that they may be awakened and
convicted, but pray that they may be converted on the spot. No one
should either pray or make any remarks, as if he expected a single
sinner would go away without giving his heart to God. You should
all make the impression on his mind, that NOW he must submit. And
if you do this, while you are yet speaking God will hear. If
Christians make it manifest that they have really set their hearts
on the conversions of sinners, and are bent upon it, and pray as
they ought, there would rarely be a prayer meeting held without
souls being converted, and sometimes every sinner in the room.
That is the very time, if ever, that sinners should be converted
in answer to those prayers. I do not doubt but that you may have
sinners converted in every sectional prayer meeting, if you do
your duty. Take them there, take your families, your friends, or
your neighbors there with that design, give them the proper
instruction, if they need instruction, and pray for them as you
ought, and you will save their souls. Rely upon it, if you do your
duty, in a right manner, God will not keep back his blessing, and
the work will be done.

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